Horse poisoning alarms Venezuela racing

CARACAS, Venezuela — It sounds like a page-turning novel: Venezuelan authorities say a gambling ring poisons one of the country’s most popular race horses ahead of a key derby, nearly killing the animal and shining a light on an underworld where millions of dollars in bets are made under the table.

But the attack on 4-year-old Rio Negro as he prepared for the Army Day derby was real, and just the latest grim milestone in a wave of lawlessness and violence that has made Venezuela one of the world’s deadliest places.

The horse is still struggling to regain his strength after almost dying. There have been other cases of using poison to “sleep” a race horse in Venezuela, including three in the last year. But the attention thrust on Rio Negro’s dramatic plight by the media and top level government officials has underscored the growing brazenness of well-organized betting rings that many say threatens to destroy a sport nearly as popular here as baseball.

Rio Negro had been heavily favored to win the derby until criminals injected him with a near-fatal overdose of cortisone sometime in June — police aren’t exactly sure when.

His caretakers say he nearly collapsed and began urinating frequently during a training session four days before the June 22 race. He lost almost a fifth of his weight, his black-colored skin broke out in welts and he was diagnosed with temporary diabetes.

“It was painful to watch,” said Julio Lobo, one of his veterinarians.

Rio Negro is now kept in a dark, cold stable that looks more like a prison with iron bars and proliferation of security cameras to ward off intruders.

Authorities have arrested nine people, among them former police officers and a horse owner linked to betting rings. But it’s unknown if the investigation, an outcry from top government officials and beefed-up security at La Rinconada track in Caracas can control the rings that some racing officials call “mafias.”

Gambling on horse races is legal in Venezuela, but the socialist government tightly controls betting at the country’s four racetracks and 1,200 off-track betting houses. Illegal gambling is driven by the government’s limit of 1,000 bolivars on bets, or about $10 at the black market rate. Last year, the industry in Venezuela handled about $120 million in legal bets, according to the Paris-based International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

But Jaime Casas and others who follow the local horse racing industry say the real money is in illegal betting, especially now as Venezuelans try to boost the value of their bolivars in the face of 60 percent inflation and a plunge in the currency’s value on the black market. The illegal operations known as “offices” can frequently be seen operating in plain view from inside the state-sanctioned gambling halls by so-called “bankers” who receive bets in person and by phone.

Venezuela’s state-run National Institute of Hippodromes declined to comment on the illicit operations.

Casas, who runs the Hipicomputo 2000 website that tracks race results, estimated that illicit betting rings move between 50 and 60 times the legal market for gambling. The state-runhorse racing agency says that on any given Sunday the government’s take from wagers at La Rinconada can surpass $3 million.

Casas said violence has also increasingly encroached on the sport through the kidnapping of and threats against jockeys.

“Illegal betting has existed in every part of the world for a long time,” he said. “But here it was allowed to flourish with so much freedom and impunity.”

In this Aug. 27, 2014 photo, a jockey wearing the Venezuelan national colors rides a horse during a early morning training session at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuelan authorities say a gambling ring poisoned one of the countrys most popular race horses ahead of a key derby, nearly killing the animal and shining a light on an underworld where millions of dollars in bets are made under the table. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 26, 2014 photo, a horse eats hay at his stable in La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. After the poisoning of Rio Negro a four-year-old horse, favorite to win the Army Day derby, authorities have arrested nine people in the case. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Oct. 5, 2014 photo, Manuel Melean kisses his horse after he winning a horse race at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. According to Jaime Casas, who runs the Hipocomuto 2000 website that tracks race results, he points at betting rings in the involvement in the kidnapping and threatening of jockeys as another sign of encroaching violence on the sport. You get the sense theres a mafia involved, he says. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Oct. 5, 2014 photo, spectators gesture during a horse race at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. The state tightly controls betting at the countrys four racetracks and 1,200 off-track betting houses but Illegal operations known as offices are frequently run from inside the legal gambling halls by so-called bankers who receive bets in person and by phone with little fear of punishment. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014 photo, a jockey with his face soiled with sand is weighed after a horse race at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Gambling rings have been known to kidnap and threaten jockeys in order to fix races. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Oct. 5, 2014 photo, a horse is walked around the paddock in front the fans prior the start of a race at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. The wave of violent crime that had already made Venezuela one of the worlds deadliest places has now caught up with the the horse races, amid growing concerns about attempted race-fixing by well-organized illegal gambling rings. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 26, 2014 photo, Rio Negro a thoroughbred horse calls for food at his stable at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Rio Negro was the rising star of Venezuela’s racing season, but now this rail-thin, wart-riddled race horse is fighting for his life. Police dont know who injected Rio Negro with an overdose of powerful steroids, but there can be no doubt the perpetrators intention: to knock the thoroughbred out of competition on the eve of an important derby he was favored to win. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 28, 2014 photo, bodyguards sit in “Comediante’s” stable, a thoroughbred race horse who has already been poisoned once, at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. After the attack security for the horses has been stepped up to prevent further attempts at race fixing by injuring the animal. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 27, 2014 photo, a horse keeper prepares vaccines and vitamins for horses, in preparation for the weekend incoming race at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. The state-run horse racing agency says that on any given Sunday the governments take from wagers at La Rinconada can surpass $3 million. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 26, 2014 photo, plastic bottles and syringes hang from a fence around a stable at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Recent attacks by using poison to sleep a race horse have underscored the growing brazenness of well-organized betting rings that many say threatens to destroy a sport nearly as popular in Venezuela as baseball. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 26, 2014 photo, Gustavo Campos, a foreman, applies a moisturizing serum to a horse after a training session in La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Violence has increasingly encroached on the sport through the kidnapping of and threats against jockeys. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 27, 2014 photo, doctor Julio Lobo examines Rio Negro a thoroughbred race horse at a stable in La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Rio Negro was the sensation of Venezuelas horse racing season until criminals injected the four-year-old with a near-fatal overdose of cortisone. His caretakers say he nearly collapsed and began urinating frequently during a training session four days before the June 22 race. He lost almost a fifth of his weight, his black-colored skin broke out in welts and he was diagnosed with temporary diabetes. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 28, 2014 photo, a horse is walked back to his stable, passing past a dilapidated fence at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Gambling on horse races is legal in Venezuela, but the socialist government tightly controls betting at the countrys four racetracks and 1,200 off-track betting houses. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

This Aug. 28, 2014 photo, shows a jockey’s muddied boots and riding crop after a training session at La Rinconada race track in Caracas, Venezuela. According to Jaime Casas, who runs the Hipicomputo 2000 website that tracks race results, illicit betting rings move between 50 and 60 times the legal market for gambling. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 26, 2014 photo, a horse keeper rinses down a horse’s leg after a training session in La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. There have been other cases of using poison to sleep a race horse in Venezuela, including three in the last year.(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 27, 2014 photo, a jockey wears a helmet during a training session at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Authorities have arrested nine people in the poisoning of Rio Negro, a four-year-old race horse favored to win the Army Day derby, among them former police officers and one horse owner linked to betting rings. But its not clear whether the investigation can bring under control what some racing officials refer to as the mafias. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Aug. 27, 2014 photo, Rio Negro a thoroughbred horse leaves his box for a early morning training session at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. After the poison attack on Rio Negro, he is now kept in a dark, cold stable that looks more like a prison with iron bars and proliferation of security cameras to ward off intruders. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014 photo, horses cross the finish line during a race La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. While gambling on horse races is legal in Venezuela the real money is in illegal betting as Venezuelans try to boost the value of their rapidly-devaluing bolivars. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Oct. 5, 2014 photo, gamblers look the horses walking around the paddock prior a race at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Last year, the horse racing industry in Venezuela took in almost 94 million euros in bets, according to the Paris-based International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Oct. 5, 2014 photo, a gambler studies his racing form prior a horse race at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Illegal operations known as offices can frequently be seen in plain view from inside the state-sanctioned gambling halls by so-called bankers who receive bets in person and by phone. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014 photo, Manuel Melean, left, waits for his trophy, beside protocol staff at the podium after winning a horse race at La Rinconada racetrack in Caracas, Venezuela. Illegal gambling is driven by a limit of 1,000 bolivars on bets, or about $10 at the black market rate. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Matt Dayhoff started as a photographer for the Journal Star in 1992 shortly after graduating from the Ohio University School of Visual Communications. In 2009, he moved into the newsroom as an online editor and producer and is now responsible for helping manage and edit much of the editorial content on pjstar.com.